Configurable compartmented multiple-item carrying case

ABSTRACT

A compartmented multiple-item carrying case ( 10 ) adapted for construction of configurable dividers ( 60, 62, 64, 66, 68 ) is formed with matable building elements ( 82, 84, 86 ) arranged by a user to provide interior compartments ( 40, 42, 44, 46 ) of customized shapes and sizes. User configurable interior compartments enable efficient item placement and storage because the items a user desires to carry at a given time can differ in size and shape.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to a compartmented multiple-item carrying case and, in particular, to a carrying case having configurable container-part dividers that can be constructed with user-arranged matable building elements to form interior compartments of customized shapes and sizes.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

A compartmented multiple-item carrying case is adapted for construction of configurable dividers formed with matable building elements arranged by a user to provide interior compartments of customized shapes and sizes. User configurable interior compartments enable efficient item placement and storage because the items a user desires to carry at a given time can differ in size and shape. The configurable compartmented carrying case comprises a container part having an interior space defined by a base surface and side surfaces. The base surface includes a patterned surface portion configured to support a set of container-part building elements that are configurable for mating to the patterned surface portion of the base surface and to one another. This enables a user to build configurable dividers arranged to form configurable compartments in the interior space of the container part. In a preferred embodiment, a cover part of the carrying case is sized to cover the interior space of the container part. The cover part has an interior surface including a patterned surface portion configured to support a set of cover-portion building elements that are configurable for mating to the patterned surface of the interior surface of the cover part to enable a user to build on the interior surface a configurable storage compartment.

For each of the container and cover parts, a set of building elements includes a subset of the building elements having first and second matable features that are matable to each other so that the building elements in the subset are configurable for mated joining to one another for assembly in a stacked relationship.

Additional aspects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a compartmented carrying case constructed with user-configured dividers that provide customized interior compartments sized for a hand-held video game system and its accessories.

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the compartmented carrying case of FIG. 1 shown with a USB connector cable set in a reconfigured compartment and a user-configured memory stick storage compartment formed on the interior surface of a hinged cover part of the carrying case.

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of a compartmented carrying case of FIG. 2 with the video game system and its accessories removed to show the arrangement of the mated building elements that form the customized interior compartments.

FIG. 4 is a partly exploded view of the compartmented carrying case of FIG. 3 showing the building elements configured to mate to patterned surfaces of container and cover parts of the carrying case and to one another to form a compartment in each of the container and cover parts.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along lines 5-5 of FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 1-5 show a preferred embodiment of a compartmented carrying case 10 that includes a container part 12 and a cover part 14 connected together by a hinge 16. Container part 12 has a shallow, rectangular interior space 20 with an open top. Interior space 20 is defined by a patterned inner surface 22 of a base member 24 and inner surfaces 26 of four side members 28 that extend upwardly from the side margins of base member 24 and have joined together side margins of next adjacent side members 28. The height of side members 28 establishes the depth of interior space 20 of container part 12. Cover part 14 is sized to cover the open top of interior space 20 when a user rotates cover part 14 about hinge 16 to close carrying case 10.

FIG. 1 shows in container part 12 interior compartments 40, 42, 44, and 46, in which, respectively, a portable hand-held video game system 50, an AC adapter 52, a game system multi-media cartridge holder 54, and a spare arbitrary building element 56 are stored. The sizes and shapes of compartments 40, 42, 44, and 46 are defined by the placement of configurable dividers 60, 62, 64, 66, and 68 in interior space 20. FIG. 2 shows configurable divider 68 removed to combine compartments 44 and 46 to accommodate multi-media cartridge holder 54 and a USB cable 58 in a single, larger compartment 48. FIG. 2 also shows cover part 14 having on its inner surface 70 a storage compartment 72 configured to hold a memory stick 74. The construction and placement of configurable dividers 60, 62, 64, 66, and 68 and configurable storage compartment 72 are described below with reference to FIGS. 3, 4, and 5.

FIG. 3 shows container part 12 with its contents removed dividers 60, 62, 64, and 66 in the arrangement that forms customized interior compartments 40, 42, and 48. FIGS. 4 and 5 show patterned inner surface 22 of base member 24 in the form of an array of mutually spaced-apart cylindrical mating features or bosses 80. FIGS. 4 and 5 also show divider 60 built from three nominally structurally identical matable building elements 82 assembled in a stack and mated with a building element 84 having a finished top surface.

A floor panel element 86 has a bottom surface on which is formed a recess 90′ (FIG. 5) that is sized to mate with spatially corresponding bosses 80 so that floor panel element 86 can be affixed to and thereby cover part of patterned inner surface 22. FIGS. 3 and 4 show that the floor panel elements can be of different sizes, and FIGS. 4 and 5 show that the floor panel elements are placed to leave openings that allow the lowermost building element 82 in the stack access to mate with bosses 80 on patterned inner surface 22.

Patterned inner surface 22 is configured to receive matable building elements 82 and floor panel elements 86. Building elements 82 in this embodiment are preferably small molded plastic components that are stackable upon one another, like small bricks, to create a divider wall. (Building elements 84, which are intended to provide a finished surface, typically do not have top surface mating features that would enable stacking of another layer of building elements 82.) Building elements 82, 84, and 86 can be of different colors. Suitable building elements 82, 84, and 86 include LEGO toy bricks, available from Interlego AG, Zug, Switzerland.

A preferred building element 82 has on its bottom side recesses 90 that are sized to mate with spatially corresponding bosses 80 so that building element 82 can be affixed to and thereby cover part of the patterned inner surface 22. Skilled persons will appreciate that a building element 82 having multiple recesses 90 on its bottom side is configured so that adjacent recesses 90 are separated by the same distance as that separating corresponding adjacent bosses in patterned inner surface 22. The spaced-apart bottom side recesses 90 of building element 82 that are sized to mate with spatially corresponding bosses 80 of patterned inner surface 22 define a recess feature pattern that is complementary to patterned inner surface 22. FIG. 5 shows floor panel element 86 that has an open rectangular bottom side recess 90′ that is sized to fit over and against lateral arcuate peripheral portions of seven adjacent bosses 80 to mate with them in an operational manner. Floor panel element 86 defines a surface feature that is matable to bosses 80 in, but is not complementary to, patterned inner surface 22. Building element 82 has on its top side the presence of a matable feature. Building element 84 and floor panel element 86 have smooth top surfaces that can be of a color or that contribute to a finished decorative pattern selected by a user.

FIG. 3 shows with memory stick 74 removed storage compartment 72 in the form of a pocket on inner surface 70 of cover part 14. FIGS. 1-5 show inner surface 70 of cover part 14 having a patterned surface in the form of an array of mutually spaced-apart bosses 80. For simplicity, bosses 80 in patterned inner surfaces 20 and 70 are of the same size and in the same configuration. FIGS. 4 and 5 also show storage compartment 72 built from two matable building elements 102 mated with three building elements 104 having finished top surfaces. Building elements 102 and a fourth building element 104 are mated with bosses 80 on inner surface 70 to form the sides and bottom of storage compartment 72 in the form of a pocket structure. The matable features of building elements 102 and 104 correspond to those of, respectively, building elements 82, 84, and 86. The descriptions presented above with reference to building elements 82, 84, and 86 apply also to building elements 102 and 104.

For purposes of simplicity and uniformity, a user preferably constructs a divider or a storage compartment with a set of stackable building elements in which the bottom side feature and the top side feature mate with and operationally match, respectively, the features in a patterned surface of the container or cover part. Operationally match is defined to mean that a top side feature is matable to the bottom side feature of the same building element.

Skilled persons will appreciate that building elements 82, 84, 86, 102, and 104 are examples of matable building elements that can be assembled. These building elements can be of different sizes and shapes to create, for example, dividers of different heights, contours, and colors.

Patterned inner surfaces 22 and 70 can be replicated on one or both of the outer surfaces of container part 12 and cover part 14 of carrying case 10. The matable building elements can be arranged to form a three-dimensional customized presentation of a textual message, decorative image, or other user-configurable pattern for display.

It will be obvious to those having skill in the art that many changes may be made to the details of the above-described embodiments without departing from the underlying principles of the invention. The scope of the present invention should, therefore, be determined only by the following claims. 

1. A configurable compartmented carrying case, comprising: a container part having an interior space defined by a base surface and side surfaces, the base surface including a patterned surface portion configured to support a set of container-part building elements that are configurable for mating to the patterned surface portion of the base surface and to one another so as to enable a user to build configurable dividers arranged to form configurable compartments in the interior space of the container part.
 2. The carrying case of claim 1, further comprising a cover part sized to cover the interior space of the container part, the cover part having an interior surface including a patterned surface portion configured to support a set of cover-part building elements that are configurable for mating to the patterned surface of the interior surface of the cover part to enable a user to build on the interior surface a configurable storage compartment.
 3. The carrying case of claim 1, in which the set of container-part building elements includes a subset of the building elements having first and second matable features that are matable to each other so that the building elements in the subset are configurable for mated joining to one another for assembly in stacked relationship.
 4. The carrying case of claim 1, in which the set of cover-part building elements includes a subset of the building elements having first and second matable features that are matable to each other so that the building elements in the subset are configurable for mated joining to one another for assembly in stacked relationship. 